Doyle said the two have toured gardens as part of the event
for years.

"Out of all the yards (we've seen), this is really unique
and nothing else compares," Doyle said. "I've been bugging her to sign up for
years and she finally caved."

Miller's garden is also home to a "garden hose ball," totem
pole, elaborate miniature Toad Town and Barbie dolls – one in a cage, one on a
flamingo and one reclining in a fish bowl.

"(It is) a lot of fun – (there is) a lot of creativity,"
said Stacy Lloyd, of Fenton, who partook in the tour for the first time with a
friend. "It looks like it would just come alive at night – definitely a place
to have a party."

Sarah Wojcik | MLive.comChuck Brandt, of Fenton, built a wood-burning pizza oven in his backyard, inspired by the ovens in a movie he saw about Pompeii in eighth grade.

Chuck and Emily Brandt, of Fenton, also participated for the
first time in the tour this year, opening the yard of their 1899 blue-and-white
farm house to visitors.

"It's been a lot of fun," Emily said. "We've met a lot of
really nice people and seen some interesting gardens."

One of the highlights of their garden is an outdoor
wood-burning pizza oven Chuck built in two years. Emily said he was inspired by
a film he watched about Pompeii in eighth grade.

The garden also features a rock wall in front, side fairy
garden, mature spruce trees and plants such as iris, lamium, sedum, ivy and
phlox.

"This is very calming and relaxing. And the smell..." Lloyd said,
gesturing appreciatively towards the smoke puffing from the pizza oven.

Other gardens on the tour included landscaped ponds, bird
and bat houses and a machine from 1920 that still shucks corn.